Method and apparatus for unloading high-explosive shells



R. H. BOTS METHOD AND APPARATIJS FOR UNLOADING HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELLS Filed April 2. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 [171 010 Marci [1501's I R. H, BoTs METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR UNLOADING HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELLS Filed April 2. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS May 6 1924.

R. H. BoTs METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR UNLOADING HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELLS Filed April 2 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 11v VENTOR facial] BY ATTORNEYS Patented May 6, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD H. BOTS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO COLUMBIA SALVAGE CORPOBA- I TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR U NLOADING HIGH-EXPLOSIVE SHELLS.

Application filed April 2,

To all whom it. may concern.

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. Bors, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatus for Ur:- loading High-Explosive Shells (Case No. 5), of which the following is a specification.

'The main object of this invention is to provide a new anduseful method and apparatus for unloading high-explosive shells and separating and recovering the materials forming the high-explosive charge. It is necessary that the entire high-explosive charge be removed from the shells in order that the empty shells may be safely melted or reduced in a blast furnace or otherwise. These shells are of high quality steel and are valuable provided the explosive charge is entirely removed. When the high-explosive charge is a mixture of several difi'erent kinds of materials it is desirable to separate those materials after the charge has been removed from the shell, in order to render such materials separately available for commercial purposes.

A higlrexplosive shell for artillery use consists. ordinarily, of a hollow steel shell filled with a charge of high explosive. The shell is usually pointed at one end and said pointed end is known as the nose.- In the nose is formed a longitudinally extending threaded aperture in which is screwed a flanged adapter ring, said ring carrying a booster casing which extends into the shell and contains the so-called booster charge. The fuse, or fuse stock, is screwed into the adapter ring and this also carries a small charge. of explosive within the booster casing. A great many of these high explosive shells are charged with amatol. Amatol is a mixture of ammonium nitrate and tri nitrotoluol .(TNT) in proper proportions. It is fluid or'semi-fluid at certain temperatures and. may be readily poured into the shell. It cools and solidifies within the shell and becomes a substantially solid mass of material which completely fills the entire shell except for a small space at the nose,

1923. Serial No. 629,363.

which is designed to receive the booster casing. Other similar high explosives are used,

such as pure TNT. The main purpose of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for safely, completely and uickly removing the amatol from the Shel s and separating it into TNT and ammonium nitrate. The process is also adapted foruse in removing TNT and other similar high explosive charges from shells.

In the, drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for carrying out the invention;

Fig. 2 a vertical sectional view of the apparatus, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a vertical sectional view of a high explosive shell showing the booster and the adapter in place therein;

Fig. 4a View similar to Fig. 3, of a shell with the booster and the adapter removed- Fig. 5 a vertical sectional view of a shell connected to the charge dissolving and removing apparatus;

Fig. 6 a detail side elevation partly in section, ofthe means for connecting the charge dissolving apparatus to the shell; an

Fig. 7 a detail sectional view showing the beginning of the charge-dissolving operation.

In carrying out this method the adapter and the booster are first removed from the nose of the shell. The shell is then in the condition illustrated in Fig. 4 and access may be had to its interior through the threaded hole in its nose. The adapter and the booster may be removed in an suitable manner, but preferably by a suita le ap aratus arranged in a tank 1. From t is booster-removing apparatus the shells are delivered to the apparatus for removing the amatol or other charge. This apparatus consists of a platform or support 2 on which the shells are placed. The shells are'pref erably set up on their bases so that their open ends are uppermost. [Preferably a large number ofthese shells are arranged in a row near the front edge of the platform as'shown clearly in Fig. 1. Mounted on the platform in suitable supports is a horizontal tical member of the T-joint is screwed the 'lower end of a vertical tubular guide casing 8. Mounted to movevertically in this guide casing is a long slender steam'nozzle or 'et 9 which is provided at its lower end wit openings 10 through which steam may escape in horizontal and downwardly directed jets; and the upper end of thisnozzle 9 is connected. to a flexible hose 11. The horizontal steam pipe 3 is rovided with valved outlets 12, one for eac steam nozzle 9, and to these valved outlets the hose 11 are connected. The discharge hose 7 extends down into a trough 13 arranged along the front of the platform 2, so that any material entering the hose 7 will be discharged into said trough. The steam nozzles 9 slide freely in the guide casings 8 so that they may move downwardly into the shell by gravity. The upper end of each guide casing 8 is provided with a guide ring or bush- I ing 8 which serves to substantially close the upper end of the casing and also to guide the upper portion of the nozzle 9, the nozzle 9 sliding freely through said bushing.

When the desired number of shells have been placed in position and the discharge nozzles 4 connected thereto, and the steam nozzles 9 have been dropped down into the shells, steam is admitted to the pipe 3 and the valves 12 opened. Steamwill flow through the nozzles 9 into the shells and will blow out downwardly or laterally and downwardly from the ends of the nozzles Within the shells. will be condensed within the shell and the entire mass within the shell will be heated and agitated by the steam. The amatol will be dissolved or rendered liquid by the'steam jets, and the water produced by the condensationof the steam and the pressure of the steam will-drive the liquid material up through thedischarge nozzles '4 and out through the discharge hose 7. As the amatol is dissolved and removed the steam nozzles will automatically follow down in the shells. The long slender nozzle 9 will be directed and,

from'itslower endin fine jets that are directed downwardly and also laterally, the

said slender nozzle will quickl cut its way downjthrough the mass to the ottom of the shell (s e-'Fi'gsp and 7). This will prohave been emptied of their contents they A certain amount of the steam duce a passage through the mass at the center thereof and the steam, and water due to the condensation of the steam, will be delivered at the bottom of the mass and will be then forced upwardly through the mass. It has been found that this actionquickly dissolves or liquefiesthe charge and the upward movement of the' steam and water to. the discharge nozzle carries the dissolved material up and out through the discharge hose. The steam pressure is maintained until'the shells are clear of solid amatol or othen charge. This may be readily determined by noting the heating of the exteriorof the'she'll. Ithas been found in practice that when the exterior of the'shell is hot midwaythe ends thereof the charge has been entirely dissolved. \Vhen the shells are clear of thesolid charge the steam nozzles areremoved and the discharge nozzles 4 are disconnected and the shells turned over to empty the liquid that remains therein into the trough 13; When all the solid charge has been rendered fluid the steamin is stopped, and it is not necessary to forc all of the liquid from the shells by the steam 'jets. It will, of course, be understood that the steam supply may be cut oil before the nozzles 4 are disconnected. After the shells 05 are removed and a new set placed in position-to receive the nozzles 4. For convenience'of operation the new set of shells are fitted with nozzles 4 and guide casings 8 so that it is only necessary to withdraw the nozzles 9 from the treated shells ands insert them in the untreated ones.

The material discharged into the trough 13 is very hot and consists of water, condensed from the steam, liquid TNT and ammonium nitrate solution. From the trough this mixture is discharged through a spout 14 into the recovery and separating means by which theTN T is separated from the ammonium nitrate solution. no

The means for separating the liquid TNT from the ammonium nitrate solution comprises a settling tank 15 which receives the solution from the spout .14. This tank is provided with vertical baffle plates 16 over and under which the material will flow from the inlet point to the outlet spout 17. A

heating coil 18 is arranged near the bottom of this tank, said heating coil receiving steam from a suitable'steam generator 19. This steam generator is also connected up to the-steam supply ipe 3. The liquid TNT is of greater speci 1c gravity than the ammonium nitrate solution and will drop to 'the bottom of the tank 15 where it is maintained in liquid form by the heat from the steam' coil 18. The settling tankis provided with a discharge passage 21 at the a bottom thereof, and this -.discharge passage 4 is connected to a discharge spout 22. This discharge spout 22 is preferably a section of rubber hose and discharges into boxes 23 mounted on a conveyor 24.

A tank 25 receives the ammonium nitrate solution discharged from the top of the said tank 15 through the spout 17. This solu-- said tan whenever that may be desired.

It is necessary to maintain only sufiicient steam pressure in the shell to keep the liquid mass in the shell in continuous agitation and boiling hot. There will, of course, be an overflow out through the discharge nozzle and this overflow is caused by the inflow of steam and the accumulation of the liquid within the shell. By this method a concentrated solution of ammonium nitrate is obtained within the shell. If the steam pressure is too great within the shell it will force the liquid material out through the discharge nozzle before the ammonium nitrate solution is strong enough, but the pressure must be sufficient to cause continuous agitation of the liquid Within the shell and an overflow discharge of the hot liquid. When the steaming is stopped there will remain in the shell a concentrated solution of ammonium nitrate with some liquid TNT. This, of course, is dumped out after the shell is disconnected from the discharge nozzle.

The herein described method thoroughly I and completely liquefies and removes the explosive charge from the shells so that they may be safely transported, stored and melted down. The ammonium nitrate solution finally discharged into the storage tank is of suificient strength for commercial purposes, or, if desired, the ammonium nitrate crystals may be precipitated and recovered in any suitable way. The TNT finally discharged into the boxes 23 becomes solid when cooled and is suitable'for commercial purposes without further treatment.

What I claim is:

1. The method of removing a. solidified explosive charge from a shell consisting in placing the shell upright on its base, attaching a discharge nozzle to the open nose at the point of the shell, inserting a steam nozzle through the discharge nozzle and into contact with the mass within the shell, causing steam to flow continuously throu h said steam nozzle into the shell whe by t e steam jet" will heat, moisten and dis ve the explosive charge, and permitting, the steam nozzle to gravitate freely through the discharge nozzle and move downwardly in the shell as the mass is dissolved.

2. The method of removing a solidified explosive charge from a shell consisting in placing the shell upright on its base, attaching a discharge nozzle to the open nose at the point of the shell, inserting a steam nozzle through the discharge nozzle and into contact with the mass within the shell, causing steam to flow continuously through said steam nozzle into the shell whereby the steam jet will heat, moisten and dissolve the explosive charge and cause it to flow in liquid form up through the discharge nozzle, and causing the steam nozzle to move downwardly in the shell as the mass is dissolved and forced out of the shell.

3. The method of removing a solidified explosive charge from a shell consisting in placing the shell upright on its base, so-

that the open nose at the point ofthe shell will be uppermost, inserting a steam nozzle through the open nose and into contact with the mass within the shell, causing steam to flow continuously through said steam nozzle into the shell whereby the steam jet will heat, moisten and dissolve the explosive charge and force it in liquid form up through the open nose, and causing the steam nozzle to move downwardly in the shell as the mass is dissolved and forced out of the shell.

4. The method of removing a solidified explosive charge from a shell, consisting in placing the shell upright on its base, attaching a discharge nozzle to the open nose at the point of the shell, inserting a long slender steam nozzle through the discharge nozzle and into contact with the charge within the shell, causing steam to flow through the steam nozzle whereby the steam nozzle will first cut a passage in the charge, causing the steam nozzle to move into said passage as it is cut by the steam,

and continuing the steam flow until the entire charge is liquid. the steam being under sufficient pressure to cause the liquid material to'flow out through the discharge nozzle.

5. The method of removing a solidified explosive charge from a shell consisting in placing the shell upright on its base, so

that the open nose at the point of the shell will be uppermost, inserting a long slender steam nozzle through the open nose and into contact with the charge within the shell, causing steam to flow through the steam nozzle whereby the steam nozzle will first cut a passage in the charge, causing the steam nozzle to move into said' passage as it is cut by the steam, and continuin the steam flow until the entire charge is liquid, the steam being under suflicient pressure to cause the liquid material to flow out through the open nose.

6. The method of removing a solidified explosive charge from a shell consisting in placing the shell upright on its base, so

that the open nose at the point of the shell will be uppermost, inserting a long slender steam nozzle through the open nose and into contact with the charge within the 5 shell, causing steam to floW through the In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX steam nozzle whereby the steam nozzle will my signature.

' first cut a passage in the charge, permitting RICHARD H. BOTS.

the steam nozzle to gravitate freely into said passage as it is cut by the steam and charge is liquid.

continuing the steam flovi until the entire 7 

